Munster game-changing moments as Cork's grit leaves Waterford with that sinking feeling

by · The42

Fintan O'Toole

ANOTHER MUNSTER HURLING experience of frustration and regret and dejection visited upon the Waterford camp.

That’s a long-running theme, almost ingrained at this stage in their psyche since the round-robin format was ushered into the province.

For Cork it was the continuation of a recently established trend, a performance that was unconvincing and inconsistent, a display that required grit and resolve, and yet the outcome again was securing the precious two points on offer.

Championship victories are of the hard-earned variety in the Ben O’Connor era, but it’s the type to spark contentment on the bus heading home along the N25.

The upshot is the two sides have contrasting outlooks. Waterford are left clinging to the faint hope that a specific sequence of results will occur – they win in Limerick next Sunday, Clare draw or lose the night before, and then both Clare and Tipperary are defeated on 24 May. The prospect appears remote. For the seventh straight campaign, they are on course for failing to emerge from the Munster round-robin fight.

Cork have assured themselves of qualification for the All-Ireland series, the sixth success story there in seven attempts. A win or a draw against Clare on the final day books a Munster final spot. If Clare fail to win in Thurles next Saturday night, Cork’s progress to the provincial showpiece will be confirmed then. This is a scenario Ben O’Connor would have gratefully snapped up in the wake of their league final loss.

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This served as the 20th defeat in 27 round-robin outings for Waterford, they will scarcely have left one bemoaning cruel misfortune and significant mistakes to this extent.

Consider the series of game-changing incidents that swung against them.

Injuries – A team already stripped of the considerable presence of their defensive colossus Conor Prunty, witnessed a first-half of withdrawals. Ian Kenny and Iarlaith Daly limped off to weaken their defence, yet the biggest blow of all was to come as Stephen Bennett damaged his knee in the process of shooting with the game on the cusp of half-time. Dessie Hutchinson slotted into the free taking role seamlessly, but with 4-22 to his name from his prior two Munster games this year, Bennett’s absence created a hole that was impossible to fill.

Black cards – Mark Fitzgerald was the first to go before half-time, Jack Fagan the second to go with 10 minutes left on the clock. If Fitzgerald’s challenge on Brian Hayes was debatable, Billy Nolan bailed his side out with another demonstration of brilliant goalkeeping to tip away Alan Connolly’s penalty.

Fagan’s one was more clear-cut, dragging down Connolly who was alert to seize on Fitzgerald’s missed pick up, and carried a greater cost as Mark Coleman strode upfield to lash home the game’s only goal and most pivotal score. But aside from penalty incidents, it dented Waterford’s hopes as they were lacking a player during crucial phases.

Goal misses – Dessie Hutchinson’s chance early in the game didn’t feel as critical as Peter Hogan’s late on. But ultimately the result was the same for the Ballygunner duo, strikes that were pushed clear by terrific stops from Patrick Collins. Sean Walsh got another sight of goal yet Coleman stole across to flick away just as he prepared to pull the trigger. Collins and Coleman are two Cork players that have attracted fierce scrutiny for their work on the defensive side of things, but they produced the big interventions that shaped this game. Waterford had raised seven green flags across their contests with Clare and Tipperary, a shutout here was telling.

In this results business, Cork came up good. They lived on the edge at times, squandering a few openings for goal, racking up eight wides in the first half as their accuracy let them down in search of points, and locked in chase mode for a chunk of the second half as Waterford regularly constructed advantages of two and three points.

Yet they were hard-nosed when it was required. Coleman was excellent in mopping up possession and leading the defensive side of the operation. Darragh Fitzgibbon was quiet but served up two huge points midway through the second half. They got an infusion of energy off the bench, Robbie O’Flynn with the assist for Seamus Harnedy to point, and Padraig Power drawing the foul for the insurance point from a free.

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But most critically they had Brian Hayes in the rampaging kind of attacking form that pushed him into Hurler of the Year conversation last year. It was a display of points from Hayes, raising seven white flags himself and setting up three more. Six points came in the first half alone, the central source of inspiration for Cork. With the foul on him for the first-half penalty, a second-half ground shot for goal that flew narrowly wide, and a late yellow card, the St Finbarr’s man was a central character to the narrative of the game, as a series of Waterford markers struggling to negate his threat.

He got decent assistance alongside him. William Buckley matched his point-tally and impact of the opening day against Tipperary, shaking off a low-key afternoon against Limerick. Alan Connolly saw his penalty attempt saved, and two scoreable frees veered off-target, but he also picked off three from play, including a stunning solo opening half effort, and his six pointed frees, featured some pressure shots in the second half.

It’s still hard to forecast where Cork’s summer will end, but there is an inviting short-term look to at fortnight intervals, a home tie with Clare and then a potential Munster final appearance. A capacity to dig out victories and refusal to panic in the second half maelstrom of Munster hurling combat is a valuable thing.

Waterford would grasp that quality if they could. Victory remains an elusive thing. For all the positive play of Calum Lyons and Jamie Barron and Kevin Mahony, they ended with that familiar sinking feeling.

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